Virginia Beach Wave Pool gets City Council Approval

The Virginia Beach City Council approved the plan to build a mixed-used development around a wave pool in Virginia Beach. Atlantic Park, formerly known as The Wave, is a $325 million tourist destination that will include a 2-acre Wavegarden Cove. The Council approved the plan with a 10-0 vote with members calling the project “unique and exciting”.

Atlantic Park is a joint effort between Venture Realty Group, the development group behind the project, and the city of Virginia Beach. Officials expect the project to cost $325 million. The City will contribute about $100 million and private financing will cover the balance. City officials expect the park to generate about $8 million a year for schools, the general fund and the tourism fund.

The Wavegarden Cove wave pool will occupy 2 acres of a 10-acre property. Surrounding the wave pool will be offices, living spaces and a variety of amenities including restaurants, retail, movie theaters, meeting facilities and a 3,500-seat live concert venue.

Details about the waves produced by the wave pool have not been released. But based on what we’ve seen from other Wavegarden Cove installations, it’s safe to assume that the pool will produce waves between two and six feet high on the face of the wave with rights breaking on one side of the pier and lefts breaking on the other. Advanced surfers will ride high-performance waves with barrel, air and vertical lip sections. Intermediate surfers will be offered slightly smaller waves with a more forgiving open face ideal for practicing turns, and beginners catch their first waves on whitewater rollers that are ideal for learning to surf.

Venture Realty Group, the development group behind the project, said that the next step for the project is 9-months of due diligence followed by additional design work. The team hopes to start construction in 2020. Once it commences, construction should take 3 years to complete.